Return of Soldiers from Captivity: New Hopes
On April 19, Ukraine welcomed back 277 heroes, including 246 released through a prisoner exchange, and another 31 liberated without an exchange.
Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Direct quote: "Today we celebrate the return of 277 of our soldiers from Russian captivity.
They include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards who fought for Mariupol and other areas in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk."
Details: Zelensky thanked everyone involved in organizing the exchange, particularly highlighting the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, 246 soldiers were returned as part of the exchange, with 31 individuals liberated outside this framework.
Most of those returned are young people born after 2000. Among them is a female serviceman who had been in captivity since May 2022.
Of the released, 268 are enlisted personnel and sergeants, along with 9 officers.
This exchange is the fourth in 2023 and the 63rd since the onset of the full-scale invasion.
This year alone, 596 Ukrainians have returned from Russian captivity through exchanges, and 53 defenders have been liberated without exchanges.
Since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has freed 4552 Ukrainian citizens during negotiations and exchanges, with an additional 529 persons released outside exchanges.
